B6;CBA-Tg(Nkx2-1-icre/ERT2)1Kess/J

Stock number: 025808
Product name: Nkx2.1-icreERT2
Research areas: Developmental Biology Research, Neurobiology Research, Research Tools

Description

Nkx2-1-cre-ER^T2 mice express codon optimized iCre-ER^T2 in ventral forebrain precursor cells making them useful for applications requiring tamoxifen-induced deletion of floxed sequences in these cells.

Detailed description

Mice hemizygous for the PAC Nkx2-1-cre-ER^T2 transgene are viable and fertile. These mice express a codon optimized iCre-ER^T2 protein directed by the endogenous Nkx2-1 (NK2 homeobox 1) promoter/enhancer regions on the PAC transgene. Cre-ER^T2 expression is seen in ventral forebrain precursor cells in the embryo and their differentiated cell progeny until early postnatal stages. Restricted to the cytoplasm, Cre-ER^T2 can only gain access to the nuclear compartment after exposure to tamoxifen. When these mice are bred with mice containing loxP-flanked sequence, tamoxifen-inducible, Cre-mediated recombination will result in deletion of the floxed sequences in the Cre-expressing cells of the offspring.

Development

A P1-derived artificial chromosome (PAC) containing the entire mouse Nkx2-1 (NK2 homeobox 1) gene was modified by targeted mutation to insert a codon optimized iCreER^T2 fusion gene (a codon optimized Cre recombinase fused to a human estrogen receptor ligand binding domain) to the ATG of Nkx2-1. This was followed by a SV40 polyadenylation signal. The coding region of the adjacent Nkx2-9 gene was removed from the PAC by targeted mutagenesis. This construct was introduced into C57BL6/CBA F1 donor oocytes. Resulting offspring were bred to C57BL6/CBA F1 mice for at least 20 generations. Upon arrival at The Jackson Laboratory, mice were bred to C57BL/6J (Stock No. 000664) for at least one generation to establish the colony.

Allele

Symbol: Tg(Nkx2-1-icre/ERT2)1Kess
Name: transgene insertion 1, Nicoletta Kessaris
MGI accession ID: MGI:5430921
Generation method: Transgenic
Attributes: Recombinase-expressing; Inducible
Marker symbol: Tg(Nkx2-1-icre/ERT2)1Kess
Marker name: transgene insertion 1, Nicoletta Kessaris
Chromosome: UN
Strain of origin: (C57BL/6 x CBA)F1
Expressed genes: cre/ERT2,Cre recombinase and estrogen receptor 1 (human) fusion gene,
Site of expression: Cre-ER^T2 expression is seen in ventral forebrain precursor cells.
Molecular note: A construct was generated where a cre/ERT2 sequence is driven by the Nkx2-1 promoter.